Tampa — Tax May Fund Streetcar Expansion

April 2016

Tampa Bay Business Journal reported that price tags now have been estimated for proposed light rail and streetcar projects in Hillsborough County which includes the city of Tampa where the rail systems would be located. The cost would be $626 million overall with $480 million for LRT and $146 million for streetcar expansion. However, it's still uncertain if the Hillsborough County board will place a sales tax referendum on the November 2016 ballot to fund the projects.

The half-cent sales tax would be the funding source for the streetcar project, yielding $44 million over ten years. Other funding to reach $146 million would come from federal and state grants.

Still uncertain is whether the Go Hillsborough initiative will be approved by the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners by April 6, in time be on the November ballot as a referendum.